Civil society leaders oppose formation of military courts

KARACHI: Representatives of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), National Organization for Working Community, Pakistan Secular Forum, URC, Aurat Foundation, PILER, Sindh Human Rights Commission and SPO on Monday opposed the decision to establish military courts in Pakistan.
Addressing a press conference at Karachi Press Club, representatives Anisa Haroon, Salahuddin, Karamat Ali, Illahi Bux Baloch and others criticized decision to form military courts and said that political parties are responsible for betrayal of democracy.
Anisa Haroon said: “We have stood by political parties, whether they agreed with their ideological axis or not, at the times of threat to democracy.” She said by supporting initiative of military courts, politicians had betrayed their confidence.
Former president of Karachi Bar Salahuddin said there are institutions to run the country and the courts have authorities to discuss the civilian matters in better way. He said judges were concerned over their protections, so the government should provide them proper security so that they could deliver proper judgments without any threat. He said: “We support military in operation Zarb-e-Azb.”
Chief PILER Karamat Ali said social security system should be shaped in which injustice be completely eliminated from the country. He said nation had consensus to eliminate terrorism from the root.
They said Pakistan’s political parties had fought for democracy and defended it against onslaught in the past but by approving military courts, they had defeated their own struggles.
They urged the politicians to withdraw support for military courts. They said: “If military courts are formed through democratic process, then it will be an stigma on the face of political parties, which can never be washed.